Purvis comes up short despite Systren Eliza Elenus' dominant performance

By Team Reports Jan 29, 2024, 8:14am

Recap: Purvis Tornadoes vs. Columbia Wildcats

It was a good run, but the Purvis Tornadoes unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of Columbia by a score of 42-39. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Purvis in their matchups with Columbia: they've now lost five in a row.

When it comes to explaining why Purvis lost, one person who can't be blamed is Systren Eliza Elenus. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds. Eliza Elenus hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. Lillee Crider was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with seven rebounds.

Jakira Brown was her usual excellent self, scoring 17 points for Columbia. Brown has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last ten times she's played. Another player making a difference was Sariya Robinson, who scored ten points.

Purvis' loss dropped their record down to 12-7. As for Columbia, they pushed their record up to 17-4 with that victory, which was their sixth straight on the road.

Purvis will square off against Lawrence County at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Columbia, they will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Bay at 5:00 p.m. Bay's defense has only allowed 27.6 points per game this season, so Columbia's offense will have their work cut out for them.